Thermaltake SMART 750W SP-750P Overview

Thermaltake SMART 750W SP-750P Introduction:

Power supply technology has grown to target multiple needs – features can include high efficiency, high output, high quality, low noise, low temperatures, durable, convenience (modular), affordability (which often means some of those previously mentioned features were sacrificed), and anything else that has been left out. Over the years the average power consumption has not fluctuated very much; each generation of computer technology is faster, but energy consumption is swayed by increases in efficiency. What this means is that energy output is not a priority on research and development for power supply manufacturers. The main development lately has been in increasing efficiency recognized generally through the 80 PLUS certification program where manufacturers volunteer their products and are tested, and then given an efficiency rating ranging from 80 PLUS to 80 PLUS Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Titanium. This naming convention makes it easy for consumers to find out approximately how efficient they could expect a given unit to be in their system. Power supplies at different price points combine various features together; the cheaper units will have less whereas more expensive will obviously have more features.

Up for review is the Thermaltake SMART 750W SP-750P power supply unit. This unit is high mid-range and should show minimal sacrifices, one of which is a lack of modular or even sleeved cabling. Instead Thermaltake opted for black ribbon cables comprised of several wires connected together. This keeps the unit looking elegant without the inherent costs of sleeved and modular cabling. The SP-750M is another model that is offered with modular wiring at a higher cost. The unit is a high efficiency model rated 80 PLUS Bronze; this means consumers on 115VAC can expect 82% efficiency (81% for 230VAC) at 20% and 100% loads, and 85% efficiency at 50% load for either 115VAC or 230VAC. Efficiency is important for multiple reasons: the more efficient a unit is at converting the power from AC to DC means it will waste less electricity and also generate less heat, both of which are good things!

The rated output of the power supply unit is not affected by efficiency; what that means is an 80 PLUS 750W unit provides the same amount of DC power potential to the system components as an 80 PLUS Bronze 750W unit, it just takes more AC power to do the conversion. When buying a power supply unit it is a good idea to try to buy big in terms of power output, remember that the highest efficiency was around half-loaded plus buying a much larger supply leaves room for future upgrades.

Thermaltake SMART 750W SP-750P Closer Look:

The Thermaltake SMART 750W power supply is packed in a nice, smooth box. The color scheme – both on the box and power supply itself – is mainly black, gray, and bronze colorings. The top of the box lists the 80 PLUS Bronze rating, five-year warranty, and ErP Lot 6 (European regulation designed to lower standby power consumption, especially when combined with ErP motherboards). The center explains what the SMART Series moniker is for: “SMART Series power supplies were tested with live PC systems during design phase to deliver maximum compatibility with current components.” Flipping the box over shows a fairly comprehensive list of features and specifications. The left side has pictures of the Japanese Main capacitor, OCP/OVP/UVP/OPP/SCP protection, 140mm fan, and the black ribbon cables that are misidentified as modular. The right side lists the voltages and amperage supplied as well as how many connectors to expect (one 24-pin Main, one 4+4-pin ATX/EPS, four Molex Peripheral, eight SATA, four 6+2-pin PCIE, and one FDD). The bottom shows the efficiency at given load capacities, fan speed and noise versus load capacity, and some of the different regulatory certifications that this unit has.

One side of the box has the main features listed in several of the most popular languages in the world. Details include the ATX V2.3 and EPS 12V standard support, 750W of continuous output at 40 °C, 80 PLUS Bronze certification, and it also calls the cables modular again although this power supply is not modular. The other sides of the box have the Thermaltake logo or an isometric view of the power supply unit with SMART 750W printed nearby.

Opening the box reveals the manuals sitting atop the power supply unit, which itself is protected by a bubble-wrapping formed into a pouch. The cables are held together in a clump using a twist tie, and a silica gel desiccant packet is also held under the tie. Included with the power supply is a power cable, pack of four black screws, and two manuals.

Continue on to the next page to get a look at the power supply unit itself!

Thermaltake SMART 750W SP-750P Closer Look:

The Thermaltake SMART 750W power supply unit is cooled by a massive 140mm fan. At the center of the fan grill is a sticker that covers up the fan hub with an ornate Thermaltake branding. One of the two top screws used for removing the cover has a warranty sticker on it. The sticker is made of a paper that is easily damaged to show if anyone has tampered with the device. It is important to note here that four more screws hidden under the giant stickers on the sides help keep the lid on! The bottom of the power supply unit has a large, colorful information sticker that shows the rated output, features, and certifications that it supports. The 12V rail con provide up to 62A, very impressive. The SMART 750W unit has ATX 12V 2.3 and EPS 12V outputs for supported motherboards. The main connector is a solid 24-pin connector while the EPS is a pair of 4-pins so users can choose to use one or both depending on the motherboard. This is a Switching power supply, which means it can support multiple power types automatically. The specifications claim voltages from 100-240 VAC, with frequencies between 47-63 Hz. This covers pretty much all power types across the world!

Every single side carries the Thermaltake brand or logo, either with stickers or metal stamping. Each side with the large SMART 750W sticker has two screws holding the top and bottom of the case together. The sticker is two-part and will separate if you are not careful in peeling the paper layer. Connectors on the power supply cables are spaced out roughly six inches from each other on cables with multiple connectors. The cable layout is as follows: one 24-pin Main cable measured at roughly 21.5 inches; one 4x4-pin ATX/EPS connector measures roughly 24 inches; two PCIe 6+2 cables, each having two pairs of PCIe connectors for four total, measure out to 20 inches for the first and 25 inches for the second connector; two Molex cables provide two connectors each, while one cable also has a single FDD connector added to the end. These cables measure roughly 18 inches to the first connectors and 24 inches to the second plus another six inches for the FDD connector. Lastly the two SATA cables each provide four connectors – three of which are the pass-through 180° design while the last is connected through the back; the first connection is 18 inches away, second 24 inches, third 30 inches, and lastly fourth at 36 inches.

No switch is needed or provided for switching between different voltages; the SMART 750W power supply automatically switches between a range of 100-240VAC, supporting virtually every consumer electrical design in the world! An on/off kill switch is located next to the socket. The socket is reinforced by being placed next to the edge of the back and by having only the top nearby-region being mesh and the rest solid metal. The two screws at the front of the housing hold a daughter board that bridges the dozens of output wires that get their power from the much thicker “feed” wires that you will see in the pictures down below. To open the unit one must remove two screws at the top and two on each side that you can feel-out by rubbing your finger on the sides where the sticker meets the edge and finding the indents – these are screw heads! Tampering with these screws voids the warranty; there are no user-serviceable parts inside!

Thermaltake SMART 750W SP-750P Closer Look Internals:

Power supply technology has advanced quite a bit over the ages. The Rectifier and MOSFETs have much smaller passive cooling, and many of the components are smaller in general. The high efficiency design has helped reduce heat output (which is a form of energy loss). Thermaltake was generous with the shielding, which is nice to see the attention to details. The transformers have Channel Well Technology (CWT) stickers on them. The large capacitor on the filtering (primary) side is a Japanese capacitor labeled: Nippon Chemi-Con 400V 390µF(M) KMR Series 105 °C. The rest of the unit has many CapXon capacitors, which are considered mediocre at best by most, but are also less important compared to the Nippon role-wise.

The very large yellow and black wires going to the daughter board are the 12V source wires. A daughter board is able to prevent damage to the power supply if users tug on the wires or bend the power supply by giving slack and conforming in motion more with the wires. This design also cleans up the main PCB greatly and makes it much easier for modders to make changes. Printed on the PCB near the fuse under the power socket, it lists which fuse to get for different wattage units, in this case a 10A 250V Ceramic fuse. The fan is a Yate Loon, model D14SH-12. It is 140x25mm and can provide up to 140 CFM of air flow at 48.5 dBA. This version only features two power wires on a two-pin connection and has a custom sticker with the Thermaltake theme. The power supply throttles fan speed based on how it is loaded according to Thermaltake, so at low power draw this fan could be nearly silent or even off!

The following page has technical specifications and features about the SP-750P.

Thermaltake SMART 750W SP-750P Features:

750 Watt Bronze Power Supply: Thermaltake introduces the newest in the essence of mainstream systems – the SMART Series Standard PSU, a performance series of power supply units (PSU) that incorporate various PSU high-tech components, leading technology and Eco-friendly credentials, with ranges between 550 to 750W that will accommodate any mainstream build under any circumstance. It is ideal for users building a home or office system for 24/7 fundamental and stable demands.

Flat & Low Profile Cable: All new low-profile flat modular cables that not only increase airflow and improving chassis thermal performance but also allow for effortless cable routing.

Massive and dedicated +12V output: Smart Standard Series is equipped with a pure and powerful single +12V rail to provide the best compatibility for your PC.

Top Quality Japanese made Capacitor: High quality Japanese-made capacitors produce supreme performance with low impedance characteristics. The stable operation lasts longer with excellent reliability to enhance the power supply performance.

Smart Temperature Control Fan: The large 140mm cooling fan, with a built-in intelligent temperature control device can automatically detect the power load for fan speed adjustment and maintain optimal sound performance.

Thermaltake SMART 750W SP-750P Conclusion:

The Thermaltake SMART 750W SP-750P power supply unit operates very quietly or even silently depending on the load applied to it. When testing the unit out of the box the fan didn't even bother spinning until I had enough components installed – with the stock 4770K test system sans optical and storage drives idling in BIOS the fan was barely spinning; I could count the RPMs by eye!

The overall design seems pretty solid; the only part that was off-putting was finding the CapXon capacitors inside opposing the Nippon, although they have come a long way from the days when they would burst regularly. Plus Thermaltake offers a five-year warranty to help negate this attribute. Some sacrifices were made to make this unit available at a lower price point. The cables are long, which is both good and bad (good for big cases where you would have to stretch to reach connections, bad for small where it's hard to hide excess). The ribbon cables help to keep the wires managed whereas individual wires would easily become a mess. The all-black insulation also helps with the looks. The Bronze 80 PLUS rating seems like a fair compromise between efficiency and price point.

In the end this power supply unit may lack some of the bells and whistles that high end units may offer, but it provides a fairly substantial power output while remaining efficient in consumption, noise production, and price point. This design is something that the majority of consumers could benefit from.